Towel cabinet



F. Gf STEINER TOWEL CABINET AApril 129, 1930.

Filed March 3l, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fn van /of FRAN/r G 57E/NERPatented Apr. 29, 1930 PATENT Ferca FRANK Gr. STEINER, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STEINER SALES COMPANY, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ACORPORATION OF UTAH TOWEL CABINET Application filed March 31, 1926.

This cabinet relates to that class in which a long continuous web orband of towel is unrolled from a roll or fold deposited in the cabinet,a certain amount being delivered to the user with each pull on the cleanweb and simultaneously the used or soiled portion of the towel web iswound uponl a takeup roll.

A primary object of this inventionis to provide a construction ofcabinet which will permit the convenient stretching of the loose end ofthe towel web upwardly in the cabinet in the rear of the clean roll andfeed rolls to the takeup roll, this work being performed by the laundryman or person delivering the towel or by the janitor in charge 'of thewashroom where the cabinet may be located and obviously, a structuremust be provided which will allow the filling or loading of the cabinetby the laundry man or janitor with the least amount of labor andexpenditure of time.

Any device of this kind which would requirev considerable time and laborin the operation of installing a clean roll in the cabinet wouldobviously be fatal to the successful use of such a device. A cabinet ofthis kind must not only be simple and inexpensive in construction, andeasy and convenient of operation by the user, but it must also beadapted for quick, convenient loa-ding or lling with a clean towel.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations allfas hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a towel cabinet embodyingmy invention' Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the cabinet showing thefront door opened and the operating mechanism of the cabinet swungoutwardly to a position where the clean roll or fold of towel can beeasily and quickly installed.

In the accompanying drawing, 2 represents the side walls of the cabinet,3 the top thereof, 4 the rear wall, and 5 a front door Serial No.98,771.

hinged at one side and having a suitable locking device by means ofwhich access to the interior of the cabinet can be prevented eX- cept byan authorized person.

This portion of the cabinet is adapted to be mounted on an upright wallwhere the towel delivery mechanism can be conveniently manipulated by aperson standing'in front of the cabinet. Within this stationary portionof the cabinet, I provide a movable section comprising side walls 6having a rear connecting wall 7 between them forming the back of theinner or movable section ofthe cabinet and having a horizontal extension8 at'the bottom of the inner section upon which the roll or fold ofclean towel 9 is placed. This inner section is hinged at 10 to one ofthe side walls of thecabinet at the front thereof and is adapted toswing outwardly through the front of the cabinet to the positionindicated in Figure 2 by full lines when the door 5 of the cabinet isopened. When this frontv door is` opened by the janitor or laundry man,the clean roll or fold of towel 9 can be easily placed in the bottom ofthe inner section where it will lie loosely as indicated in Figure 1,rolling back and forth to allow the convenient unwinding of the cleanweb as the towel is used.` Above this roll, at the front of the cabinet,I provide a delivery feed roll 11 having a roughened surface over whichthe clean web of towel is carried to depend through a gap or passage 12provided between the inner section and the front door of the cabinet.This web depends below the cabinet within convenient reach of the userwho will grasp the web and drawing downwardly thereon deliver apredetermined length of clean towel in position for convenient use.

A second or takeup feed roll 13 is mounted inthe side wall 6 of theinner section and a gear 14 on the spindle of the delivery feed rollwith vertical s'lots or guideways 17 adapted to receive a takeup roll 18on which the loose end of the towel web is wound, the takeup rollsliding down by gravity in the guideways Y17 so that the web of towelthereon will contact with the peripheral surface of the roll 13 and whenthe roll 13 is revolved through its driving connection with the roll 11a corresponding movement will be imparted to the takeup roll 18 to windup the soiled web of towel thereon. Thisweb will slide along the rearwall 7 and is guided and a slight tension 'is put thereon by means of aroll 19 that is supported in the side walls 2 of the stationary portionof the cabinet and preferably has a narrow shelf 2O in the rear thereofwhich has the function of preventing the web from being passed up intheV rear of the guide roll 19. A stop device 21 is provided inconnection with the takeup roll 13 and is provided' with an operatinglever 22 having a suitable finger-piece 23. This stop device or feedcontrol is adapted to be manipulated with one hand by the user of thetowel while the other hand grasps the web of towel and pulls downwardlywhen the feed control is released. This feed control is similar to theone shown and described in the application of Gottfrid Olson, filedDecember 19, 192.5, Serial No. 76,528 and I make no claim to the sameherein.

In Figure 3 I have shown the cabinet in position for loading, the frontdoor having been opened and the inner section swung outwardly on itshinges to a position at right.

angles substantially to the stationary portion of the cabinet, and inthis position the person loading or filling the cabinet canconvenientlyplace the clean roll of towel therein and having passed the loose end ofthe web over the delivery roll and downwardly through the bottom of thecabinet may easily and conveniently stretcher extend this loose web up Ain the rear of the swinging section and wind the end on the takeup rollso that when the cabinet is closed and the userv draws downwardly on thedepending web, a corresponding portion of the web will be wound on thetakeup roll and the clean portion of the web will be separated such adistance from the soiled portion as indicated in Figure 1 that therewill be no possibility of infection or contamination of the cleanportion by contact with the part of the web that has been used.

Vhen the swinging section has been equipped or Aloaded with the cleanYtowel, it will be swung back to its normal position in the cabinet andin so doing the web of towel 'i will contact with the guide roll 19 withsulficient pressure to cause a Yslight tension on the web and then whenthe door is closed, the cabinet is ready for use and such use maycontinue until the clean roll is entirely eX# hausted.

A roll 19a is mounted on the door 5 by suitable means such as brackets191 in position to contact with the towel web and draw it snugly aroundthe feed roll 11 when the door is closed and aid in holding the web onthe delivery feed roll with sufficient friction to Vdrive both the rollswhen the user pulls on the towel web.

I claim as my invention:

A towel cabinet comprising an outer section with side walls and anopening in its front and bottom portions, a horizontally swinging doorhinged to one side of the outer section having a pressure roller thereonand a horizontally swinging inner section hinged to the sameV said wallof the outer section said inner section being adapted to receive. 'aclean towel supply, delivery and take up feed rolls mounted in the upperportion of said inner section and having a driving connection betweenthem the construction being such that the web of clean towel may bestretched from the cleantowel supply in the inner section up over saiddelivery roll and from thence be looped downwardly through the openingin the bottom of the outer section, thence carried upwardly in theV rearof said rolls, a take up roll whereon the loose end of the towel rollmay be wound for contact with said take up` feed roll and adapted to berevolved thereby, said inner section being adapted to swing outwardly onits hinges to a position at substantially right angles to said outersection thereby exposing both the front and rear of said inner sectionfor convenience in stretching the towel web to said delivery feed rolland from thence to loop the towel below the inner section, thenceupwardly to a .take up roll.

v In witnesspwhereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty siXth dayof March 1926.

FRANK G. STEINER. A

